Topics related to the Ukraine war
AfD man Bystron meets right-wing extremists in Hungary
January 28, 2024, 2:17 p.m
Right-wing extremist contacts, sexism scandals and secret trips to Belarus: the list of allegations against Petr Bystron is long. Now the AfD politician is taking part in a conference of right-wing extremists in Hungary. The main issue is territorial claims against Ukraine.
In Hungary, an AfD representative took part in a conference of the right-wing extremist party Our Homeland, at which territorial claims were made against Ukraine. Party leader Laszlo Toroczkai announced late on Saturday evening that in the event that Ukraine loses the war against Russia: “If this war ends with Ukraine losing its statehood, because that is also foreseeable, then I would like to be the only Hungarian party, who represents this position, are signaling that we are laying claim to Zakarpattia,” he said to applause from the audience.
According to a report by the state news agency MTI, the AfD’s Bundestag member Petr Bystron took part in the meeting on behalf of the AfD. Representatives of the Dutch right-wing populist group Forum for Democracy were also present. There is no statement from the AfD yet.
Transcarpathia is located in the far west of Ukraine and borders Hungary. About 150,000 ethnic Hungarians live there. The government in Budapest has accused Ukraine of discriminating against the Hungarian minority in the past. Among other things, it was about teaching languages. The Hungarian Foreign Ministry and the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest did not immediately respond to questions about Toroczkai’s comments.
Our homeland calls for a referendum on Hungary’s withdrawal from the European Union and the reintroduction of the death penalty. She also wants to restrict minority rights. The party is represented by six members in the Hungarian parliament. “As far as the war in Ukraine is concerned, our message is very simple: immediate ceasefire, peace and a solution through talks,” Toroczkai said in a video posted on his party’s website. The Hungarian government also takes a course directed against Ukraine. So far it has blocked financial aid worth 50 billion euros for the government in Kiev.